1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates/to golf tees and more particularly, to golf tees formed of a composition which provides a tee which is rigid in a dry environment and which rapidly disintegrates and degrades in a wet environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different plastic and composite materials have been used for molding useful articles. Most commercial plastics are intentionally insoluble in water and slow to biodegrade. Water-soluble plastics have been used for many years in special applications. Some natural water-soluble gums such as gum arabic, xanthan and tragacanth gums have been used in food products to give a soft consistency. Some synthetic water-soluble polymers have been used as binders and as films. Polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide and alkyl celluloses are examples of such materials. These polymers be fully water-soluble but they are slow to dissolve.
Fibrous materials with a high ratio of length to diameter have been used for reinforcing composites, and the fibers are most effective if they are strong in the long direction. Mineral fibers, such as glass and asbestos, have been used for many composites, but they are not biodegradable. Natural cellulose fibers, such as fibers from wood, cotton, sisal, and linen, provide the attributes of reinforcement and degradability. Viscose rayon is a synthesized cellulose fiber that provides these same attributes. Cellulose is known to be a biodegradable material, weakened but not dissolved by water, decomposed by ultraviolet light and attacked by microorganisms in the air and soil. Cellulosic fibers are particularly susceptible to such degradation by virtue of a large surface area per volume.
Golf tees are conventionally made of wood or a moldable plastic. Tees made of such materials must be removed from the driving tee areas of golf courses, where they are often allowed to lie after the golfer has completed a drive. Tees of wood and plastic, when broken during the drive, are unsightly, are a hazard during mowing when struck by a mower blade and can damage the blades. The tees, being effectively water insoluble, must be physically picked up.
Efforts have been made to develop golf tees which are water soluble or degradable, and in some instances, are also beneficial to the turf. Such tees have been made of water-degradable and biodegradable materials, and often incorporate grass seed and fertilizers. A number of patents disclose such tees. U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,438, issued Nov. 21, 1978, to J. Bruno et al., discloses a disintegrable golf tee comprised of clay, grass seed and a soil conditioner, such as a fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, fungicide, or larvacide. Humus may be added to the composition as an optional ingredient. The tee thus produced can be shattered upon impact with a club head or it can be impressed into the ground. In either event, it decomposes upon contact with moisture to impart beneficial properties to the grass and soil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,541, issued Mar. 29, 1977 to A. Desmarais, discloses a golf tee composed of a water-soluble thermoplastic material having a fertilizer dispersed therein. The golf tee is produced by injection molding. U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,479 issued May 20, 1975 to A. Gordos, discloses a golf tee which will shatter or disintegrate when struck by the driver employed by the player. The golf tee has a ball support section formed of a plastic material and a shank formed from grass seed and a water soluble binder. The shank is provided with a centrally located elongated rigid reinforcing member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,508, issued Mar. 20, 1990 to P. Franshan et al., discloses a golf tee made from peat moss admixed with a water soluble lignosulphonate binder in an amount sufficient to bond the peat moss together in a coherent and rigid body by cold or hot pressure forming.